Passenger-car.



H. ROWNTREE.

PASSENGER CAR.

APPLlCATlON FILED OCT. 16, 1912.

Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD ROWNTREE, OF KENILWORTI- I, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR-TO NATIONAL PNEUMATIC COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

PASSENGER-CAR.

vApplication filed'fictober 16, 1912. Serial No. 725,987.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HAROLD ROWNTREE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kenilworth, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, have made a certain new and useful Invention in Passenger-Cars, of which the.

following is a specification.

This invention relates to passenger cars.

The object of the invention is to provide a passenger car which is simple in construction, and which is of the fare prepayment type, and wherein provision is made for a smoking compartment or a compartment adapted to contain the various mechanisms, motors, etc., for operating the auxiliary devices of the car, or for affording space for amusement, advertising, entertaining, frei ht or other purposes, while at the same time of a assenger car embodying the principles of my invention. Fig. 2 1s a horizontal sectional view, 1n floor plan, of thesame. Fig. 3 is a view showing the appllcation of rying out my invention I propose to employ a doorway in the side of the car but preferablv at a point intermediate its ends, and specifically at a point adjacent one end thereof. and controlled by suitable doors operated from a conductors station within the car. or inside the doors, from which station the doors are opened and closed and fares of entering passengers are collected as the passengers enter. At the extreme end of the car. adjacent to the conductors station, I propose to provide an elevated auxiliar compartment designed to carry, and to afford a convenient storing space for the various auxiliary mechanisms carried bythe car, and which auxiliary compartment may Specification of Letters Patent.

In car- Patented Feb.22, 1916.

also serve the purpose of a' space, if so deslred. for givmg performances for the entertainmentof the passengers of the car, or,

if desired may be utilized as a smoking compartment, for advertising or other purposes,

said auxiliary compartment being reached by a stairway leading from the platform or.

loading or unloading space adjacent to the doorway.

Referring to the accompanying drawing reference sign A, designates a passenger car. B, designates the trucks therefor. Adjacent one end of the car at one side thereof I propose to form a doorway designed to be controlled by suitable doors C. These may be of any suitable or convenient type or construction and may be operated or controlled in any suitable or convenient manner, and either manually or by power mechanism, as may be desired. In the particular form shown, to whichhowever, my invention is not to be limited orfrestricted, in

the broadest scope thereof, as defined in the claims, I propose to employ folding doors and to control the operation thereof by control mechanism. indicatedat D, located at the conductors station inside the doors, from which station not only may the doors be opened or closed, or otherwise controlled, but from which station, also, the fares of entering passengers may be collected as they enter.

, In the arrangement shown the conductors control stand D, is located at approximately the midwidth of the car adjacent to the raised portion or platform E at the extreme end of the car. The conductors station, however, may be on the lower floor portion F, of the seating space of the car and which seating space is provided with the ordinary or any usual or-convenient arrangement of seats G. for the-accommodation of passengers. space of the car isinclined or formed in a ramp from the doorway or, door C, toward the far or extreme end of the car so as to be eventually raised above the truck 13 at that end of the car. By this arrangement I am enabled to provide a stepless form of car so that passengers may step directly from the street level into the floor of the Preferably the floor F of the seating car through the door C. After paying their fare the passengers may thenproceed to the seats G. On the opposite side of the car from the doorway controlled by the doors C, I provide a stairway H, leading from the level of the floor F of the seating space otthe car to the elevated or raised compartment E. If desired a. doorway and door J may be provided at the bend of the stairway H, to afford communication from said stairway to the auxiliary compartment E which is shown as located at a levelabove-that of the floor of the car at the loading platform K. This compartment may be utilized as a smoking compartment. as a compartment for the storage of the various auxiliary appli ances and mechanisms used or employed in connection with the operation of the car, or it'may be employed "for giving exhibitions or entertainments.v for advertisingpurposes, for a lunch stand, for carrying freight, or for any other purpose desired. If desired this raised compartment may be provided with a doorway and a door in the side there of, as indicated at B. This is a'desirable featurewhere said compartment is employed for carrying "freight.

It will'be observed that the raised auxiliary compartment E, is at the front end of the'car. and that all ofthe passengers in the body of the car or-seating space thereof, i'ace forwardly toward it. If desired, seats may be arranged in the auxiliary compartment E as indicated at'M, for the accommodation of passengers who e said compartment is used as a smoking compartment.

From the foregoing description it will be.

observed that the construction described at fords a stoplesscar which is easy of access by passenger. It also is of the form of the fare prepayment type where entering passengers onlypass in one direction while passing the conductor instead of passing in both directions as in'the ordinary type of center entrance cars.

The provision of the auxiliary compartment E affords a suitable accommodation for smokers while at thesame time it forms an available space for mechanism employed in connection with the auxiliary devices on thecar and which on the ordinary type of c r, and especially on the drop frame and stepless type, are almost entirely crowded into inaccessible spaces under the car or in the roof of the car. This is a verv material matter of convenience since it facilitates access to the various devices, motors and the like, required in the operation of the car, for repairs or other purposes.

If desired the construction may be easily and readily converted into a double deck carby merely extending the stairway H to reach the upper deck.

T he construction described combines within itself all or" the advantageous teathe floor of the elevated com artment.

tures of the end entrance car as well as the center entrance cars while eliminating the objectionable features of both.

If desired, a raised seat P may be provided adjacent the conductors control stand D for the accommodation of the conductor or the seat may be placed on level with .his will afford an elevation of the conductor above the heads of entering passengers so as to enable him to m..intain control" servation of entering and leaving passengers, thereby avoiding danger of accidents while boar ling and alighting from the car.

It will be understood that where the auxiliary compartment E is employed as asmolring compartment, said compartment will be separated from the balance of the body of the car by a partition indicated at It.

In the case of a double decl'; car, as inclicated in Fig. 8, he stairway H delivers from the space in f ont oi the side doorway, to a landing R, on. the floor level of the r ised compartment E, and which opens into said com; .rtment through a doorway and door indicated S. From this landing a second stairway T, continues to the upper deck of the car.

aving now set forth the object and nature oat my invention and a construction embodying the pi ici ales thereof, what 1 claim as new and useful and of my own invention and desire to secure by Letters Fatent is:

l. Apassenger car having a side entrance adjacent one. end thereof, doors for control ling said entrance, a raised compartment for pas; ngers in advance'ot and immediately adjacent said doorway, steps located opposite said doorway leading to said raised auxiliary compartment and meansarranged within doorway for controlling the op rot aid doors.

n a passenger car, a car bodyhaving ing space for passengers a doorway and a ooor in the side of said car, adjacent one end thereoi', a passenger compartment arrange on one side of said doorway and ha ing an elevated floor, a stairway located opposite said doorway and leading to said =a1sed eompartn'ient, and means for conline the doors for the doorways, said coated inside said doorway and be means to control said door, said means located between the doorway and stairway.

l. A passenger car having a car body with an interior seating space, a side doorway located adjacent the front end thereof, a door for controlling said doorway, a raised auxiliary com aartnient at the extreme forward end of said car, an inclined floor for the seating space of the car leading from the doorway to a point over the truck at th rear end of the car, means for operating the door, said means located immediately at the rear of tne raised auxiliary compartment, a stairway located at the opposite side of the car from the doorway thereof, and leading from the main body portion of the car to the raised auxiliary compartment, and a condnctors seat located at the door control means.

A passenger car having front and rear trucks, a car body having a front floor portion raised over the front trucks, a side doorway immediately adjacent the rear of the front tracks, the car body having a rear floor portion inclined from the doorway and extending over the rear trucks.

6. A passenger car having front and rear tracks, a car body having a front floor portion raised over the front trucks, the floor of the car body at the rear of the front trucks being within a single stepping distance of the ground level, and having a side doorway immediately at the rear of said front trucks, the rear portion of the floor extending in a ramp from the doorway to and over the rear trucks.

7. A passenger car having front and rearv trucks, a car body having a front floor portion raised over the front trucks, a side doorway adjacent the rear of the front trucks, the car body having a rear floor portion inclined from the doorway and extending over the rear trucks and a stairway connecting said front and rear floor portions, said stairway located opposite said side doorway.

8. A passenger car having a raised front floor portion and a low rear portion, a side doorway, the low rear floor portion being inclined from the side doorway and astairway opposite said doorway connecting said floor portions.

9. A passenger car having trucks, a raised and a low floor portion, the raised. portion being located over one of said trncks,a side doorway located opposite saidside doorway, the low floor portion being inclined from the side doorway, a stairway connecting said floor portions, said side doorway being located between the tracks and adjacent one of them.

10. A passenger car having tracks, a raised and a low floor portion, the raised portion being located over one of said tracks, a side doorway at the low floor portion and within a single stepping distance of the ground,

the low floor portion being inclined from the side doorway, a stairway connecting SdlCl floor portions, said side doorway and said stairway being located between the trucks locatedopposite said doorway and connecting said floor portions, the low floor portion being inclined from the doorway.

12. A double deck passenger car having a raised floor portion and a low floor portion on the lower deck, a side doorway at the low fioor portion, a stairway opposite said doorway connecting said fioor portions and a stairway from said raised floor portion to the upper deck of the car.

13. Adonble deck passenger car having raised floor portion and a low floor portion on the lower deck, a side doorway at the low floor portion, a landing at the raised floor portion, a doorway and door between said landing and the interior of the raised floor portion, a stairway connecting the low floorv portion and the landing, and a stairway extending from the landing to the upper deck of the car.

14. A passenger car having a raised floor portion and a low floor portion, a side door way at the low floor portion, a landing at the raised floor portion, a doorway and door between the landing and the interior of the raised floor portion, and a stairway'connecting the low floor portion and the'landing, said stairway-being located. opposite said doorway. 1

15. A passenger car having a raised floor portion and a low floor portion, a side doorway at the low floor portion, doors controlling the same, a stairway connecting the raised and low floor portions, said stairway located opposite said side doorway, and means located intermediate the side door-. way and stairway for controlling the'side door.

16. In a car, a floor having a portion depressed close to the track level to permit passengers to step directly onto the same, said floor being inclined away from said depressed portion, entrance and exit passageways atthe depressed portion only of said floor, said car at all other points being normally closed against entrance and exit.

17; In a car,'a floor having one end depressed below the level of a portion remote from said end, a platform supported at the depressed end thereof near the track l vel and arranged to permit a passenger to. step directly from thestreet to theplatform.

18. A car having its floor sloping toward one end thereof and having a portion at the lower end thereof arran ed closeto the track 7 level, whereby passengers may step directlyfrom the street onto the floor of the car.

19. A car having its floor sloping toward one end thereof and having a portion of the lower end thereof arranged close to the track level and provided at said lower end with both an entrance and an exit, whereby passengers may step directly onto or ofi' of the floor of the car.

20. A car having two portions arranged at difi erent levels and an inclined portion connecting the first-mentioned portions, the lower of said first-mentioned portions being arranged close to the track level to permit passen 'ers to step the street directly onto the same.

21. A street car having a boarding and alighting entrance at its front end and within a single step distance from the ground, the floor level being inclined from said entrance to the rear end of the car, doors for controlling said entrance and ieans for: operating said doors.

22. A street car having a boarding and alighting entrance at one end Within a single step distance from the ground, the floor of the car being inclined upwardly from the entrance to the other end of the car.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand inthe presence of the subscribing Witnesses, on this 25th day of September,

A. D. 1912. V

HAROLD RGKVHT RVitnesses:

W. A. Dannr, S. E. DARBY.

Cogies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

